Articles

DEMARCO: “I Have The Solution For 'The Problem'''

Published

12 years ago

November 16, 2012

The principals on the Saturday night Golden Boy/HBO card in Atlantic City sat down on Thursday for a media roundtable sesssion. Here are their quotes.

ANTONIO DEMARCO, WBC Lightweight World Champion

“It's an important fight for my career.

“My fight with Edwin Valero will help me get in the ring with more confidence.

“I know it's a difficult fight for both of us. Because of his talent and my heart and hunger, it's going to be a great fight for the fans.

“Broner is very elusive and he's an intelligent fighter, but we came prepared for that and more.

“A very difficult fight in my past that I can compare to this one is my fight with Kid Diamond [Almazbek Raiymkulov]. He also was elusive, but I won that fight by knockout and got a lot of exposure with the victory.

[On whether or not his weight gives him at an advantage.] “It's a little bit of an advantage for me because I'm the world champion and I've been fighting at this weight a little bit longer, but I'm ready to go and if he wanted to fight at welterweight then I'd fight him there as well. It's not a problem either way.

“It's amazing what has happened in my personal life and my professional career.Every day I feel better and now I believe I can become anything I want to if I believe in myself. I wake up every morning and know I'm a world champion and that brings me great comfort.

“Every fight is different and we don't know until we get in the ring, but don't be surprised if you see me box.

“I'm well prepared and my mind is on winning. I have 'The Solution' for 'The Problem.'

“Because my family is so important to me, I'm very hungry. I always fight for the people of Mexico, my team, my fans and especially my family.”

ADRIEN BRONER, Undefeated Rising Star

[On visiting the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City on Wednesday.] “It's very important to have an affect on kids. I'll do anything to make a kid's day better.

“As my career is going on, I'm starting to become a lot more of a busy man.

“Once someone sees me on TV, they always think that 'he is just a cocky brat,' but I'm not. Once you get to sit down with Adrien Broner, you will fall in love with me. I don't want the world to dislike me in any way. I just want you accept me.

“You can probably catch me in my sleep and I'm dancing or throwing a hook. That is just me.

“I'm not looking past anybody. I just feel like there is nobody in this game that can beat me.

“You never know how you are going to win, but I know I'm going to be victorious.

“I'm mentally strong and physically strong. I'm just a special guy and I understand that you have people that know they have the talent, but sometimes they get scared when success is in their face. I'm ready to go to the next level.

“DeMarco is a great champion. He's a world-class fighter.He has the talent to bring something out of Adrien Broner that the world hasn't seen yet.

[On traveling to California to watch the 2012 U.S. Olympians turn pro this past weekend.] “Rau'shee Warren is my big brother. I knew how much it meant to him. I know how much it meant to me. I would have felt bad if I had to watch him on TV. I was in the gym two or three times a day out there. It doesn't matter where I am. As long as I have a pair of boxing gloves, a pair of boxing shoes and a cup, I'll give 120 percent. I'm always focused.

“Once that bell rings, I make my adjustments and usually with a couple of adjustments the fight is over.

SETH “MAYHEM” MITCHELL, Undefeated NABO Heavyweight Champion

“I think having a strong jab is critical in any fight. I've been varying my jab since my last fight. I am trying to bring it from different angles.

[On a recent injury keeping him out of the ring.] “Ever since starting in this sport, I've always been in the gym. I just want to stay in shape and stay sharp. I'm used to fighting three or four times a year. This is the second time this year so it was very important to stay in the gym.

“When I look back, I wish I would have had a relationship with my father. Through football and basketball, I had a lot of father figures in my life. I had a lot of role models that helped and guided me. Looking back knowing the relationship I have with my son and how I cherish that, I do wish I would have had a relationship with my father.

[On being a stay-at-home dad] “I get up in the morning and I fix breakfast. I take the kids to school. I run, go to the gym and then I pick them up from school. My wife works, so we are a team.

[On visiting the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City] “Once you're put in a certain position, I think it's good to give back. Nobody has made it without somebody. No matter how successful an individual becomes, he or she didn't get there by themselves. When I speak to kids, I know nine times out of 10 I'm not going to reach 100 percent of them, but if I can inspire one or two, then it's worth it.

“I'm a competitive person by nature. If we were playing tic-tac-toe, you would see that same aggressiveness. My wife gets mad at me because I don't let my six year old daughter win at anything.

“I believe including this fight, Lord willing, I do what I'm supposed to do, I believe I'm two or three more fights away from a title shot. I don't think I'm that far away at all.

[On Washington Redskins rookie Robert Griffin III] “I think RGIII is special. The reason I think so highly of him is that he's a tremendous athlete and he thinks about the pass first. He's very humble which is another characteristic I admire about him. I think in the next few years, the Redskins are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

“It feels good to be here in Atlantic City. This is like a home away from home. I love fighting in my hometown and in Vegas too, but I had like five or six busloads of people drive in from Maryland for my last fight here. You're going to hear a lot of people screaming for me Saturday night.”

JOHNATHON BANKS, Top Heavyweight Contender

[On stepping in to serve as trainer for Heavyweight World Champion Wladimir Klitschko this past weekend.] “The only thing I had to do was be his trainer. It didn't affect me in a bad way. If anything, it motivated me in a way that I've never been motivated before.

“Training him was not an advantage or disadvantage, but it enhanced something inside of me. My family has even noticed it. My mother said 'There is something different about you. Something I haven't seen before.'

“This is my time. Whatever happens, let it happen.

“Do you think last November I thought I would be here talking to you all this November? If you don't see something in your future, you don't think about it, but the position I'm has been wonderful.

“I started working with Wladimir Klitschko in 2004. When I met him I was 1-0. I just turned pro and we were training in California. Wladimir and I clicked right away.

“Emanuel [Steward] turned me pro. I was on his amateur team. Once I turned pro, I traveled with him wherever he went.

“James Toney called Emanuel and said that he wanted a 'real Detroit guy' on one of his undercards. He put me on his undercard and that was my second fight.

[On his experience being a sparring partner.] “You can't say 'I am just a sparring partner.' I sparred guys when I was coming up in this sport and I sparred guys as a grown man. Mentally, I was never a sparring partner, so there is nothing to put aside. I am always looking to learn.

“I am expecting a really, really tough fight. I expect him to be as aggressive as he always is and I expect him to be as aggressive as he can be. It's going to be a spectacle.”

Comment on this article

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

The Sweet Science

Articles

2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Articles

Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Articles

2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

9 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!